Music-leaf turner.



UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

THEODORE L.FOUST, OF GREENFIELD, INDIANA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,504, dated November 21, 1899.

Application filed August 10, 1899. Serial No. 726,807. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THEODORE L. FOUST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Hancock and State of Indiana,- have invented a new and useful Music-Leaf Turner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to music-leaf turners, and more particularly to that class adapted for attachment to and removal from a musical instrument, rack, &c., and is of the nature of a portable turner.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient construction comprising a plurality of leaf holding frames and in which said frames may be successively moved from one to the other of their limits of motion, a further object being to so connect the parts of the apparatus as to permit them being folded to occupy a lesser space while being conveyed from one place to another.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete turner ready for the application of music thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the guideway of the shift-bar and showing the rack and mutilated pinions.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents a back or support, adjacent the opposite end of which and at either side thereof is hinged a frame comprising top and bottom parallel bars 6 and 7, respectively, having a connecting-bar S at their outer ends, said frames being adapted to fold with their bars 8 mutually adjacent.

Fixed to the back 5 and adjacent its lower end is a bracket 9, and a similar bracket is fixed to the upper end of the back 5 and projects at the same side of the back and parallel with the bracket 9. I

In the brackets 9 and 10 are formed alining perforations 11, arranged to aline in pairs, and in the elements of each pair of perforations are disposed the opposite ends of a shaft 13, having adjacent its lower end and above the bracket 9 a mutilated pinion 14:, the teeth of each pinion being omitted for slightly more than half the circumference of the pinion, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Fixed to each shaft 13 is a leaf-carrying frame comprising upper and lower bars 15 and 16 and an outer connecting-bar 17, each frame being formed integral and corresponding in shape to the hinged frames first described. Upon the upper and lower bars 15 are slidably mounted spring-clips 18, projecting inwardly of the frame and adapted to grasp the upper and lower edges of a sheet of music at each side of the frame to cause said sheets to move with the frame.

In order to rotate the shafts 13 or oscillate them and thus to similarly move their sheetcarrying frames, a slideway 20 is fixed to the bracket 9 and upon its upper face or may be formed integral with the bracket, as shown in Fig. 1, and which slideway consists of a transverse boxing. In this slideway is disposed a slidable operating-bar 21, having a finger-piece 22 at one end and having a rack 23 at its opposite end, adapted for successive engagement with the pinions 14, the separation of the pinions being such that the rack will move from engagement with one pinion before engaging the succeeding pinion.

Normally, with the music-sheets in place, the sheet-carrying frames lie upon the righthand hinge-frame shown in Fig. 1 of the draw ings, and at which time the teeth of the pinions project to the left with the rack 23 to the left of the pinions. By then moving the bar 21 to the right, through the medium of the finger-piece 22, the rack engages the first pinion and moves it into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, causing the sheet-carrying frame to similarly move and lie upon the opposite hinged frame. The continued movementof the bar 21 or the subsequent further movement of the bar in the same direction engages the rack with the succeeding pinion, which is operated in the same manner as the firstpinion and correspondingly moves its sheet-carrying frame. In this way the several sheet-carrying frames may be moved, or such of them as are desired to be operated, and by reversing the direction of movement of the bar 21 the sheets may be returned to their original positions, as will be readily understood.

In order to support the loose sheets of the music or the front and back, a strip is fixed to the back 5 just above the slideway and has hinged to its extremities extensions 31, which are adapted to be folded inwardly at times and to be extended to lie in the plane of the strip 30, as shown in Fig. 1.

Suitable stops are arranged to limit the movement of the operating-bar 21, and it will thus be seen that with the construction described several sheets of music may be supported and be turned in opposite directions With facility and despatch, the back having a suitable removable base 33, through the medium of which it may be clamped or other- Wise fixed in position.

It Will of course be understood that in practice any desired number of sheet-carrying frames may be employed and that any desired proportions and materials may be employed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A music-leaf turner comprising a back, frames hinged to the back and adapted to be folded to lie mutually adjacent, a strip fixed to the back, supports hinged to the strip and adapted to be folded and to be distended to lie in a common plane with the strip, an up per and a lower bracket fixed to the back, shafts journaled in the brackets, frames comprising said shafts and having means for holding music thereto, a slideway formed integral with the lower bracket, a slide in the slide- Way, and means for operating the slide, said slide being adapted for successive engagement with the shafts to move them.

2. A music-leaf turner, comprising a back, frames hinged to the back and adapted to be folded to lie mutually adjacent, a strip fixed to the back, supports hinged to the strip and adapted to be folded and to be distended to lie in a common plane with the strip, an upper and a lower bracket fixed to the back, leaf-carrying frames comprising oscillatory shafts mounted in the brackets, mutilated pinions mounted upon the shafts, a slideway formed integral with the lower bracket, a slide in the slideway, a rack upon the slide adapted for engagement with the pinions to oscillate them, and means for operating the slide,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THEODORE L. FOUST.

Witnesses:

GUERNEY SAXON, Mosns WooD. 

